St. Landry democrat., 1887-08-06
BREAKING WILD HORSES.
The Methods by Which Texas Ponies are
Brought to Subsection.

I have just been witnessing the excite
ment of breaking some half hundred wild
pon,F, from Texas.
They were brought into the village in
drove by experienced men, accom-
panied by the indispensable Texas cow
boy. Their colors ranged through all the
various colors of horsetesh, and their
graceful shapes challenged the admira-
ton of the beholder. They were lodged
at the livery stable, and though looking
slightly suspicious they were not alto
gether uncomfortable. They took their
food with relish and did not seem to
realize that the four walls about them and
the roof over their heads could mean cap
tivity and slavery.
In due time buyers presented them
selves, and as the various animals were
chosen the Texas cowboy proceeded to
break them in for the benefit of the buy
erS.
Choosing one of the number, he would
throw the lasso with dextrous hand and
bring the slip-knot round the animals
throat and jaws with such force that the
poor creature would be compelled to
yield. 4 sack would then be drawn over
his head, completely blindfolding him
then his rearing and plunging were
terrible to see. When the animal
was tired of the vain effort to free him
self, the cowboy approached with caution
and attempted to place the saddle upon
his back. Although the horse was blind
folded it required some lively gymnastics
on the part of the cowboy to keep out of
the way of his heels; but after several
trials the saddle would at last be placed,
the girth drawn, and the sack taken off
from his head.
Then began squealing, kicking, rear
ing, bucking-with crowds of men,
women and children covering every
available housetop in the vicinity, the
fences lined inside with children and the
most intense excitement among them all.
just at this point in the cowboys disci-
pline one desperate character broke away
and made rush FOR large pond near
by, into which he flung himself with the
abandon of despair, and, reaching spot
in the depths where his body was en-
tirely covered by the water, he lifted his
nose in the air and snorted defiance to |
the crowd of oppressors. All attempts |
to bring him out were unavailing even a |
shot fired near him in the water had no |
effect upon him. he waited for the cover
OF darkness and then fed like the wind
anywhere-anywhere, out of captivity;
but he was found with the saddle on,
recaptured and broken to harness a few
days afterward
When the wild horse once accommo-
dates himself to the saddle his behavior
Is more calm even the mounting of the
rider does not rutf1e his temper to any ap-
probable extent. A comrade that has
been recently tanned stands by his side,
with mounted rider, and when the wild
creature feels the weight of the cowboy
on his back he makes leap into the air
with the grace of an antelope and starts
on run, the other horse, by previous
keeping close by his side
all the time. Their way here was through
a long country lane, and the race was
most exciting one. There was no stop
ping for breath till the resistance of the
wild steed was overcome by exhaustion. .
After that it was an easy matter to put
bit in his mouth and bring him to COM
plete sense of his subsection
One liberty-loving creature, beautiful
lron-gray pony, finding itself blindfolded s
and lassoed, reared, kicked, screamed and S